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Two US citizens who are currently on trial in the Democratic Republic of Congo over their alleged role in an attempted coup are now claiming that they were forced into participating by the coup leader under threat of death.

During the court hearing on Friday, Marcel Malanga and Benjamin Zalman-Polun testified that they were threatened by Christian Malanga, a US-based Congolese politician who led the coup. The coup took place on May 19 when armed men briefly seized a presidential office in Kinshasa but were quickly detained by security forces. Christian Malanga was killed during the attempted coup.

Marcel Malanga, speaking for the first time since the trial began, claimed, “Dad had threatened to kill us if we did not follow his orders. He was wearing a military uniform and had a gun around his arm. I had not seen him since 2021, it’s been a long time and I wanted to see him.” He also mentioned his difficulty with the local languages, adding, “I am American, I do not speak French or Lingala.”

Benjamin Zalman-Polun corroborated Marcel’s account, testifying, “I was kidnapped, I was forced.” He further detailed the duress he experienced, “I was being tortured,” and noted that their involvement was due to the threats from Christian Malanga.

This development comes as the trial, involving over 50 people, including US, British, Canadian, Belgian, and Congolese citizens, faces charges like illegal arms possession, criminal conspiracy, and attempts to destabilize state institutions. These charges could result in severe penalties, including the death sentence.